Binary Scales Research Articles

P053. Prospective single-centre qualitative service evaluation on magseed for wide local excision

Magseed is an effective non-inferior alternative to wire guidance (WGL) that enables intraoperative localisation of tumours during breast conserving surgery (BCS). The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a Magseed pathway in our hospital to enable patients to self-isolate preoperatively. Previous studies have not evaluated patient experience; thus, here we report the qualitative data on patients' perspectives regarding Magseed. A prospective service evaluation of BCS patients was conducted between 1st July 2020 and 1st December 2020 (Audit Committee Approval Registration No 410). Data was collected on patient demographics, tumour specification, and procedural outcomes. Qualitative results were obtained using binary outcomes and 10-point Likert scales. 41 women were included, with median age 62 years (IQR 53-69) and median BMI 27.3 kg/m2 (IQR 22.6-30.8). 29 patients had IDC, 5 had other invasive carcinomas, 4 had preinvasive disease, and 3 had benign lesions. 25 patients were ER+, 21 PR+, 3 HER2+, and 1 was triple negative. Median waiting time between insertion and operation for Magseed was 13 days (IQR 4-119). 11 patients had close margins, 6 of whom required re-operative intervention. 1 (2.4%) seed was misplaced, 4 (10%) found the procedure uncomfortable, and 2 (5%) had complications (1 difficult insertion, 1 developed pain). All excisions had successful retrieval. After an explanation of Magseed and WGL techniques, 43/49 (88%) patients said they preferred the Magseed approach. Magseed localisation methods are acceptable to staff and patients based on our prospective service evaluation. Magseed enables preoperative self-isolation in the era of Covid-19 in view of safer surgical outcomes.

Hot corrosion of SiO2-Ta2O5 binary scale on MoSi2-based ceramics

The SiO2-Ta2O5 binary scales with different Ta2O5 contents were prepared on MoSi2-based ceramics by pre-oxidation. Hot corrosion with Na2SO4 was carried out at 1000 °C for 8 h. The pre-oxidized SiO2-Ta2O5 scale on ceramics with 10 % Ta2O5 has an excellent hot corrosion resistance. Ta2O5 reacted preferentially with Na2SO4 forming solid sodium tantalates to retard the dissolution of SiO2. A dense reaction layer can be formed to prevent the further infiltration of Na2SO4. Compared to the pure SiO2 scale without Ta2O5, fewer Na2MoO4 and no obvious corrosion hole can be observed.

Comparison of mixed-integer relaxations with linear and logarithmic partitioning schemes for quadratically constrained problems

Piecewise relaxations are powerful techniques to compute strong dual bounds for (mixed-integer) quadratically constrained problems and provide starting points that can be used by local nonlinear solvers to generate high-quality primal solutions. They work by first partitioning the domain of one of the variables in every quadratic or bilinear term and then selecting the optimal interval in the partition through binary variables. A variety of formulations have been proposed that can be distinguished based on how the number of binary variables scales with the number of intervals. In this paper, we compare linear and logarithmic partitioning schemes that can be derived from the piecewise McCormick relaxation (PCM) or the multiparametric disaggregation technique (MDT). Specifically, we propose MDT for a generic numeric representation system, showing that it becomes a linear partitioning scheme when considering a single digit and varying the basis, and a logarithmic partitioning scheme when fixing the basis and varying the number of digits. Through the solution of 25 benchmark instances for the pooling problem, considering relaxations for the p-, q- and tp-formulations, we show that it is better to rely on the linear scheme from PCM for a small number of intervals and on the logarithmic scheme from base-2 MDT when the number is large. The results also show that significantly stronger dual bounds can be obtained compared to commercial global optimization solvers BARON and GloMIQO.

Optimizing Subjective Cognitive Decline to Detect Early Cognitive Dysfunction.

The utility of subjective cognitive decline (SCD) as an indicator of preclinical AD is overshadowed by its inconsistent association with objective cognition. This study examines if manipulations of SCD measurement affect its association with early cognitive dysfunction characteristic of preclinical AD. Cognitively healthy older adults (n = 110) completed SCD questionnaires that elicited complaints in general, compared to 5 years ago (retrospective SCD) and compared to their peers (age-anchored SCD) in binary and Likert scales. Outcome cognitive tasks included an associative memory task (Face-Name Test), a visual short-term memory binding task (STMB test), and a clinical neuropsychological list learning test (Selective Reminder Test). SCD complaints, when compared to age-matched peers (age-anchored SCD) were endorsed less frequently than complaints compared to 5 years ago (retrospective SCD) (p < 0.01). In demographically adjusted regressions, age-anchored ordinal-rated SCD was associated with short term memory binding (β= -0.22, p = 0.040, CI = -0.45, -0.01), associative memory (β= -0.26, p = 0.018, CI = -0.45, -0.06), and list learning (β= -0.31, p = 0.002, CI = -0.51, -0.12). Retrospective and general ordinal-rated SCD was associated with associative memory (β= -0.25, p = 0.012, CI = -0.44, -0.06; β= -0.29, p = 0.003, CI = -0.47, -0.10) and list learning only (β= -0.25, p = 0.014, CI = -0.45, -0.05; β= -0.28, p = 0.004, CI = -0.48, -0.09). Ordinal age-anchored SCD appears better suited than other SCD measurements to detect early cognitive dysfunction characteristic of preclinical AD.

On the Transformation of Genetic Effect Size from Logit to Liability Scale.

Genetic effects on the liability scale are informative for describing the genetic architecture of binary traits, typically diseases. However, most genetic association analyses on binary traits are performed by logistic regression, and there is no straightforward method that transforms both effect size estimate and standard error from the logit scale to the liability scale. Here, we derive a simple linear transformation of the log odds ratio and its standard error for a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) to an effect size and standard error on the liability scale. We show by analytic calculations and simulations that this approximation is accurate when the disease is common and the SNP effect is small. We also apply this method to estimate the contribution of a SNP near the RET gene to the variance of Hirschsprung disease liability, and the age-specific contributions of APOE4 on the variance of Alzheimer's disease liability. We discuss the approximate linear inter-relationships between genotype and effect sizes on the observed binary, logit, and liability scales, and the potential applications of the linear approximation to statistical power calculation for binary traits.

Quantification of pial collateral pressure in acute large vessel occlusion stroke: basic concept with patient outcomes.

Pial collateral perfusion to the ischemic penumbra plays a critical role in determining patient outcomes in acute stroke. We aimed to assess the validity and reliability of an intra-procedural technique for measuring and quantifying the pial collateral pressure (QPCP) to ischemic brain tissue during acute stroke secondary to LVO. QPCP measurements were correlated with standard computed tomography angiography (CTA) and digital subtraction angiography imaging assessments of pial collateral perfusion and outcomes after mechanical endovascular revascularization (MER). This prospective cohort study included 60 consecutive patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA)-M1 and proximal M2 occlusions. QPCP measurements were obtained during MER. The validity of QPCP measurements was evaluated using four widely accepted collateral grading scales. QPCP measurements were also analyzed as a predictor of patient outcomes utilizing National Institute of Health Stroke Scale reduction at 24 h and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 30 days. QPCP measurements and QPCP ratio (QPCP/systemic mean arterial blood pressure) showed a statistically significant association with single-phase pretreatment CTA Maas and American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology/Society of Interventional Radiology binary grading scales. Patient outcomes demonstrated for every 10-unit increase in QPCP, the odds of mRS 0-2 at 30 days increased by 76% (p = 0.019). QPCP measurements related best with the pretreatment CTA Maas collateral grading scale but were more strongly associated with patient outcomes than any of the four widely accepted collateral grading scales. Greater QPCP was significantly associated with better overall patient outcomes as defined by mRS at 30 days.

Fast Probabilistic Neuro-Fuzzy System for Pattern Classification Task

The probabilistic neuro-fuzzy system to solve the image classification-recognition task is proposed. The considered system is a “hybrid” of Specht’s probabilistic neural network and the neuro-fuzzy system of Takagi-Sugeno-Kang. It is designed to solve tasks in case of overlapping classes. Also, it is supposed that the initial data that are fed on the input of the system can be represented in numerical, rank, and nominal (binary) scales. The tuning of the network is implemented with the modified procedure of lazy learning based on the concept “neurons at data points”. Such a learning approach allows substantially reducing the consumption of time and does not require large amounts of training dataset. The proposed system is easy in computational implementation and characterised by a high classification speed, as well as allows processing information both in batch and online mode.

Evaluation of Crohn Disease Activity Using a Potential Abbreviated MRE Protocol Consisting of Balanced Steady-State Free Precession MRI Only Versus Full-Protocol MRE.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of the present study was to compare the diagnostic performance of an abbreviated MR enterography (MRE) protocol consisting of balanced steady-state free-precession (b-SSFP) imaging only versus standard full-protocol MRE for the evaluation of Crohn disease activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS. This single-center retrospective study included 112 patients with Crohn disease (66 women and 46 men; age range, 18-84 years) who underwent MRE between January 2017 and March 2018. Utilizing binary and 5-point Likert confidence scales, two blinded readers independently interpreted and scored disease activity on b-SSFP sequences only and on full-protocol MRE images. Interreader and intrareader agreement on confidence regarding disease activity were calculated using weighted kappa indexes. Correlation between MRE findings of Crohn disease and the Harvey-Bradshaw index was also performed. RESULTS. Perfect intrareader agreement and strong interreader agreement on disease activity were observed (intrareader agreement: κ = 0.97, 0.96, and 0.96 for reader A, reader B, and both readers combined; interreader agreement: κ = 0.82 for b-SSFP imaging only and κ = 0.81 for MRE). For detecting active Crohn disease, b-SSFP sequences had a sensitivity and specificity of 97% and 100%, respectively, for reader A and 98% and 86%, respectively, for reader B. Strong-to-perfect intrareader agreement was achieved between b-SSFP imaging only and MRE for identification of penetrating disease (κ = 0.80 and 0.97) and stenosing disease (κ = 0.87 and 0.95). Perfect intrareader agreement was also obtained between b-SSFP imaging only and MRE for detecting abnormal bowel segments (κ = 0.91 for reader A; κ = 0.98 for reader B). Weak agreement was noted between both b-SSFP imaging only and MRE versus the Harvey-Bradshaw index (κ = 0.08 of reader A; κ = 0.04 for reader B). CONCLUSION. Robust agreement was observed between b-SSFP imaging only and full-protocol MRE for the assessment of Crohn disease activity and complications. An abbreviated MRE protocol that exclusively uses b-SSFP sequences appears feasible and has significant implications for health care resources.

Exploring adipogenic and myogenic circulatory biomarkers of recurrent pressure injury risk for persons with spinal cord injury.

Purpose: To investigate linkages between circulatory adipogenic and myogenic biomarkers, gluteal intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT), and pressure injury (PrI) history following spinal cord injury (SCI).&#x0D; Methods: This is an observational repeated-measures study of 30 individuals with SCI. Whole blood was collected regularly over 2-3 years. Circulatory adipogenic and myogenic gene expression was determined. IMAT was defined as above/below 15% (IMATd) or percentage (IMAT%). PrI history was defined as recurrent PrI (RPrI) or PrI number (nPrI). Model development used R packages (version 3.5.1). Univariate analysis screened for discriminating genes for downstream multivariate and combined models of averaged and longitudinal data for binary (RPrI/IMATd) and finer scales (nPrI/IMAT%).&#x0D; Results: For adipogenesis, Krüppel-like factor 4 was the top RPrI predictor together with resistin and cyclin D1, and sirtuin 2 was the top IMAT predictor. For myogenesis, the top RPrI predictor was dysferlin 2B, and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-4 was the top IMAT predictor together with dystrophin.&#x0D; Conclusion: Circulatory adipogenic and myogenic biomarkers have statistically significant relationships with PrI history and IMAT for persons with SCI. Biomarkers of interest may act synergistically or additively. Variable importance rankings can reveal nonlinear correlations among the predictors. Biomarkers of interest may act synergistically or additively, thus multiple genes may need to be included for prediction with finer distinction.

Evaluating the Reliability and Validity of the Short Gambling Harm Screen: Are Binary Scales worse than Likert Scales at capturing Gambling Harm?

Gambling-related harm has become a key metric for measuring the adverse consequences of gambling on a population level. Yet, despite this renewed understanding in contemporary research, little exploration has been conducted to evaluate which instrument is best suited to capture the harmful consequences of gambling. This study was designed with the aim of determining whether Likert scales were better suited to capture gambling harm than binary scales. We hypothesized that the Short Gambling Harm Screen (SGHS), initially scored using a binary scale, would perform similarly to the alternate form that was Likertized for the purpose of this study. A corresponding comparison in the reverse direction was executed for the Problem Gambling Severity Index. The SGHS’s performance was assessed via a repeated-measures design in combination with three other measures of validity administered at the conclusion of the survey. In the end, we found that changing the scoring format (i.e., from binary to Likert) had negligible impact on the SGHS’s psychometric performance. We conclude that the original scoring method of the SGHS is not only appropriate but also no less suitable than Likert scales in measuring gambling harm.RésuméLes dommages liés au jeu sont devenus une mesure clé pour évaluer les conséquences néfastes du jeu à l’échelle de la population. Pourtant, malgré cette compréhension renouvelée dans la recherche contemporaine, on effectue très peu d’exploration pour évaluer quel instrument est le mieux adapté pour comprendre les conséquences néfastes du jeu. Cette étude a été conçue dans le but de déterminer si les échelles de Likert étaient mieux adaptées que les échelles binaires pour saisir les dommages liés au jeu. Nous avons émis l’hypothèse que le dépistage rapide du jeu problématique (Short Gambling Harm Screen ou SGHS), initialement évalué à l’aide d’une échelle binaire, ne fonctionnera pas différemment de la forme de Likert alternative qui a été créée aux fins de cette étude. Une comparaison correspondante dans la direction inverse a été effectuée pour l'indice de gravité du jeu excessif (PGSI). Les performances du SGHS ont été évaluées par un plan de mesures répétées, combinés à trois autres mesures de validité administrées à la fin du sondage. En fin de compte, nous avons constaté que le changement du format de pointage (c.-à-d. du binaire au Likert) avait un impact négligeable sur le rendement psychométrique du SGHS. Nous concluons que la méthode de pointage originale du SGHS est non seulement appropriée, mais également non moins appropriée que les échelles de Likert pour évaluer les dommages liés au jeu.

Symbolic structures in music theory and composition, binary keyboards, and the Thue–Morse shift

We address the broad idea of using mathematical models to inform music theory and composition by implementing them directly in the process of music creation. The mathematical model we will use is the Thue–Morse dynamical system. We briefly survey previously published works that were similarly motivated, and then discuss a new piece of music we composed, inspired by this symbolic dynamical system. In the course of our analysis, we also present an alternative proof of the well-know fact that the Thue–Morse subshift has topological entropy zero that motivated us to think of the map between binary sequences and musical scales as “binary keyboards.” Indeed, the binary representation allows to study musical scales through mathematical properties of the sequences that define them; here we present the set of standard Thue–Morse scales and compare them with other well-known musical scales.

Interventions for Primary Caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A cross-sectional study of current practices of stakeholders in South Africa

BACKGROUND: Primary caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face many challenges potentially impacting their mental health and well-being. Given their role in childcare, it becomes essential that primary caregivers be recognised as health care users who should receive interventions towards improved health, well-being and quality of life (QOL). The study aimed to describe the content, structure and mechanism of delivery of interventions offered to primary caregivers of children with ASD, with specific reference to QOL, in South Africa METHOD: A cross-sectional survey design was used to establish the interventions provided to primary caregivers as reported by health care and non-health care professionals who deliver interventions to children with ASD and their families, using an online questionnaire. Snowball sampling was implemented to access a sample of 61 respondents. Demographic data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Details of specific content ofinterventions were analysed according to identified intervention goals. Closed questions (binary and intensity scales) were analysed using frequencies and means and open-ended questions were thematically analysed with deductive reasoning using QOL domains as identified in relevant literature RESULTS: Demographics of respondents are presented. Content of intervention included goals towards, awareness about ASD, interventions beneficial for the child with ASD and interventions beneficial for the primary caregiver. The structure and mechanism of delivery of interventions are described. Three QOL domains, development and activity, as well as social and emotional wellbeing, were more commonly targeted in interventions. Physical and material wellbeing were targeted to a lesser extent CONCLUSION: The QOL elements that are embedded in the described interventions described, highlight both strengths and limitations within current practices. Additionally, it is noted that interventions appear to primarily cater for the needs of the child, with gaps in catering directly for the needs of the primary caregiver. The mental health and wellbeing of the primary caregiver is essential for the child with ASD to develop and achieve their optimal potential. Therefore inclusion of the social, emotional and health needs of the primary caregiver need to be overt with specific outcomes towards improved QOL within interventions Key words: primary care givers, quality of life, autism, spectrum disorders, interventions

Performance evaluation of a cost-sensitive differential evolution classifier using spark – Imbalanced binary classification

Nowadays, the amount of data that has been collected or generated in many sectors has been growing exponentially because of the rapid development of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT). Additionally, the nature of this data is imbalanced. The need for extracting valuable information for decision support from this data poses a challenge to the scientific community to find a solution to cope with large imbalanced data. In previous work, our cost-sensitive differential evolution classification algorithm showed efficient performance for handling highly imbalanced data sets. However, our algorithm shows inefficient performance when applied to big data sets, thus lacking to scale with data size increases. In this paper, we design and implement a parallel version of our cost-sensitive differential evolution classifier using the Apache Spark framework (SCDE). The aim is to handle large and binary imbalanced data. The main idea of the algorithm is to find the optimal centroid for each target label using differential evolution by minimizing the total misclassification cost and then assign unlabeled data points to the closest centroid. Our experiments include a real data set that is based on intrusion detection in order to evaluate our algorithm's scalability and performance. The experimental results show that SCDE efficiently handles imbalanced binary data and scales very well with data size increases. Moreover, the speedup and scaleup results that are obtained by SCDE are close to linear.

High-resolution micro-epidemiology of parasite spatial and temporal dynamics in a high malaria transmission setting in Kenya

Novel interventions that leverage the heterogeneity of parasite transmission are needed to achieve malaria elimination. To better understand spatial and temporal dynamics of transmission, we applied amplicon next-generation sequencing of two polymorphic gene regions (csp and ama1) to a cohort identified via reactive case detection in a high-transmission setting in western Kenya. From April 2013 to July 2014, we enrolled 442 symptomatic children with malaria, 442 matched controls, and all household members of both groups. Here, we evaluate genetic similarity between infected individuals using three indices: sharing of parasite haplotypes on binary and proportional scales and the L1 norm. Symptomatic children more commonly share haplotypes with their own household members. Furthermore, we observe robust temporal structuring of parasite genetic similarity and identify the unique molecular signature of an outbreak. These findings of both micro- and macro-scale organization of parasite populations might be harnessed to inform next-generation malaria control measures.

845. Children with Clinical Plasmodium falciparum Infection Have Increased Sharing of Haplotypes with Household Members as well as Temporally Proximal, Symptomatic Peers

BackgroundFalciparum malaria transmission has failed to decline in proportion to control efforts in certain regions such as Bungoma county, western Kenya. One proposed strategy to eradicate malaria is ring testing and treatment; however, it remains unknown whether infections spread locally or if asymptomatically infected household members are a risk factor for clinical disease.MethodsFrom April 2013 to June 2014, we enrolled 442 cases (RDT+ children hospitalized with malaria) and 442 matched controls; all household members of cases and controls were also enrolled and tested, of which 13.6% (n = 608/4449) were RDT+. From each RDT+ participant, parasite gDNA was PCR-amplified at both Pf circumsporozoite protein (csp) and apical membrane antigen 1 (ama1) loci, amplicons sequenced on an Illumina Miseq, and haplotypes inferred using dada2.ResultsWe identified 120 csp and 180 ama1 unique haplotypes (Figure 1). We evaluated the genetic distance between infected individuals using three novel indices: sharing of parasite haplotypes on binary and proportional scales and the L1 norm. Case children median [IQR] binary/proportional sharing of both csp and ama1 haplotypes was significantly increased with members of their origin household (e.g., csp binary sharing: origin = 50.3 [0–87.5] vs. similar household = 0 [0–50.3]; P = 0.01; Wilcoxon sign-rank test), indicating that cases are more likely to share haplotype-identical parasites with members of their own household (Figure 2). We also computed population-level haplotype sharing indices for all pairs of case children and observed no association between genetic relatedness and geographic distance. In contrast, we identified a strong inverse relationship between haplotype sharing and temporal distance, which we exploited to identify the molecular signature of an outbreak (Figure 3).ConclusionOverall, these findings suggest that, although haplotype sharing is more common within households, temporal rather than geographic proximity predicts parasite genetic similarity. The observation that identical haplotype combinations are found nearly simultaneously across the study area implies that ring testing approaches may not effectively reduce transmission. Disclosures All Authors: No reported Disclosures.

Assessing the Relation between Plasma PCB Concentrations and Elevated Autistic Behaviours using Bayesian Predictive Odds Ratios.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by impaired social communication and repetitive or stereotypic behaviours. In utero exposure to environmental chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), may play a role in the etiology of ASD. We examined the relation between plasma PCB concentrations measured during pregnancy and autistic behaviours in a subset of children aged 3–4 years old in the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Study, a pregnancy and birth cohort of 546 mother-infant pairs from Canada (enrolled: 2008–2011). We quantified the concentrations of 6 PCB congeners that were detected in >40% of plasma samples collected during the 1st trimester. At age 3–4 years, caregivers completed the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS), a valid and reliable measure of children’s reciprocal social and repetitive behaviours and restricted interests. We examined SRS scores as both a continuous and binary outcome, and we calculated Bayesian predictive odds ratios for more autistic behaviours based on a latent variable model for SRS scores >60. We found no evidence of an association between plasma PCB concentrations and autistic behaviour. However, we found small and imprecise increases in the mean SRS score and odds of more autistic behaviour for the highest category of plasma PCB concentrations compared with the lowest category; for instance, an average increase of 1.4 (95%PCI: −0.4, 3.2) in the mean SRS (exposure contrast highest versus lowest PCB category) for PCB138 translated to an odds ratio of 1.8 (95%PCI: 1.0, 2.9). Our findings illustrate the importance of measuring associations between PCBs and autistic behaviour on both continuous and binary scales.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of survival in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.

Peripheral blood lymphopenia and elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have been associated with poor outcomes in various malignancies. However, existing literature has largely focused on baseline parameters. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of radiation therapy (RT) and chemotherapy on absolute lymphocyte counts (ALC) and NLR in relation to survival outcomes in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). A retrospective analysis was performed on 126 patients with TNBC treated at Washington University between 2005 and 2010. Cox proportional hazard model with time-varying covariates was applied to estimate the effect of time-varying ALC and NLR separately on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). All patients received RT and 112 patients received either neoadjuvant chemotherapy or adjuvant chemotherapy, or both. Patients deceased had lower ALC and higher NLR compared to patients alive throughout the treatment course, even 1year after treatment completion (ALC, 1 vs. 1.3, P = 0.03 and NLR, 3.9 vs. 2.6, P = 0.03). High ALC was associated with superior OS on both continuous and binary scales (cutoff of 1K/ul) (HR 0.14; 95% CI 0.05-0.34; P < 0.001 and HR 0.28; 95% CI 0.13-0.61; P = 0.01, respectively). Additionally, high NLR was weakly associated with inferior OS on continuous scales (HR 1.1; 95% CI 1.06-1.15; P < 0.001). Post-treatment lymphopenia and NLR elevation can persist until 1year after treatment completion. Both portend shorter survival for patients with TNBC. Our data support the use of ALC and NLR to identify high risk patients who may benefit from clinical trials rather than standard of care therapy.

Assessing the Relation between Plasma PCB Concentrations and Elevated Autistic Behaviour Using Bayesian Predictive Odds Ratios

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by impaired social communication and repetitive or stereotypic behaviours. In utero exposure to environmental chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), may play a role in the etiology of ASD. We examined the relation between plasma PCB concentrations measured during pregnancy and autistic behaviours in children aged 3-4 years old in the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Study, a pregnancy and birth cohort of 538 mother-infant pairs from Canada (enrolled: 2008-2011). We quantified the concentrations of 6 PCB congeners in plasma samples collected during the 1st trimester. At age 3-4 years, caregivers completed the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS), a valid and reliable measure of children&amp;#8217;s reciprocal social and repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. We examined SRS scores as both a continuous and binary outcome and calculated Bayesian predictive odds ratios for more autistic behaviour based on a latent variable model with a threshold SRS &amp;gt;60. We found very small and imprecise increases in the mean SRS score for the highest quartile of plasma PCB concentrations compared to the lowest quartile, but these were accompanied by larger increases in the odds of more autistic behaviour. For instance, an average increase of 0.7 [95%CI: -0.8, 2.3] in the mean SRS (Q4 versus Q1) for PCB138 translated to an odds ratio of 1.5 [95%CI: 0.9, 2.3]. In conclusion, we found some evidence that plasma PCB concentrations during pregnancy may be associated with small increases in autistic behaviours in this cohort. Our findings demonstrate the importance of measuring associations between PCBs and autistic behaviour on both continuous and binary scales.

Impact of funding sources on innovation: evidence from Brazilian software companies

This paper aims to investigate the impacts of different sources of innovation funding on company performances in the context of an emerging economy. Brazilian software companies are selected as a case for this investigation. Data – related to the types of funding support received and eight types of company performances measured in binary scales – was collected through an online survey from 188 companies located across Brazil. A multivariate probit model was estimated to assess the impacts of different funding schemes on company performances – controlling for other confounding effects. The findings confirmed the critical importance of public innovation funding, and revealed that companies that: (1) Used public funds were more likely to become nationally competitive; (2) Used loans from commercial banks were less likely to become nationally and internationally competitive; (3) Reinvested revenues were more likely to gain market share, and help in increasing the number of employees; (4) Not aware of public funding schemes were less likely to invest on research, development, and innovation. The overall findings suggest the positive impacts of innovation funds on company performance. They can serve as a policy guide to develop targeted performance strategy to determine which funding scheme would be effective to foster what outcomes.

Design and fabrication of DOEs on multi- freeform surfaces via complex amplitude modulation.

A non-iterative design and precise fabrication method of diffractive optical elements (DOEs) on multiple freeform surfaces is proposed and investigated in this paper. Complex amplitude modulation (CAM) technology is applied to design complicated DOEs. The wave-front for desired DOEs fabrication is interfered with a plane wave and then be encoded to a pure phase hologram. Simulations for different DOEs (binary and gray scales) on freeform surfaces are performed and the relative errors are 0.56% and 0.78%, respectively. Since the reconstructed optical fields generated by spatial light modulator (SLM) can be recorded into light-sensitive materials (photopolymer), the DOEs fabrication is realized by optical exposure. The results show that the proposed method can design and fabricate DOEs on multi-freeform surfaces at one time with high quality. Since the CAM method ensures precise reconstruction without iterations, the fabrication is accurate as well as the design is fast. It is expected that the proposed method could be applied in the precise 3D optical fabrication and processing in the future.